While playing the game, press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + C to display the console window. Then, type one of the following codes and press [Enter] to activate the corresponding cheat function:

Result

Cheat Code

Display most cheats

help

Enable testing cheats [Note 1]

testingCheatsenabled [true or false]

1,000 more Simoleons

Kaching

50,000 more Simoleons

Motherlode

Ignore the cost when buying a lot in Town Edit mode

freerealestate

View career outfits and service uniforms [Note 2]

unlockOutfits [on or off]

Toggle objects can be placed anywhere in Buy/Build mode [Note 3]

moveObjects [on or off]

Return Sims to safe and nuetral state at home

resetSim [first name] [last name]

Reset lifetime happiness of all Sims in active household

resetlifetimehappiness

Delete any object

Delete object

Force terrain adjustments regardless of objects, Sims, and other structures

constrainFloorElevation [true or false]

Objects will not snap to slots while holding [Alt]

disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt [on or off]

Objects fade when camera gets close to them

fadeObjects [on or off]

Show talk/thought balloons above Sim's head

hideHeadlineEffects [on or off]

Print random joke to console

jokePlease

Toggle lot tooltips

displaylotpackagefilename [on or off]

Toggle "Llamas" warning icons [Note 4]

enablellamas [on or off]

Slow motion visuals; 0 is normal, 8 is slowest

slowMotionViz [0-8]

Toggle framerate display at top right

fps [on or off]

Full screen

fullscreen [on or off]

Quit the game

quit

Note 1: This code allows additional cheat codes to be used and unlocks various testing options, as described below.

Note 2: This code must be enabled before entering Create-A-Sim mode.

Note 3: This code allows you to delete objects that normally cannot be removed (for example, Sims, mailbox, garbage can). However, you cannot get those objects back. Also, when the code is used on a Sim with the "good" trait, a halo will appear on their head when you exit Buy/Build mode.

Note 4: "Llamas" are the triangular warning signs that appear with some messages.

Enable the "testingCheatsenabled true" code, then type one of the following codes at the console window to activate the corresponding cheat function:

Result

Cheat Code

Make toddler that grows to child become an NPC

ageuptonpc

Set Simoleon total for indicated family

familyfunds "[last name]" [number]

Buy mode slot with debug objects

buydebug [on or off]

Set game speed

speed [0 to 4]

Toggle map tags

maptags [on or off]

Toggle all audio

playsounds [on or off]

Record video with specified size and quality

recordvideo

After enabling the "testingCheatsenabled true" code, you can also hold [Shift] and click on the following objects to access new options:

Mailbox

"Make All Happy"

"Make Friends For Me"

"Make Needs Static" or "Make Needs Dynamic"

"Make Me Know Everyone"

"Force Visitor"

Various "Force NPC" options

Various "Set Career" options

Work place

"Force Opportunity"

"Force Event"

"Force All Events"

Ground

"Build/Buy on this lot" (requires v1.7)

"Teleport"

Any Sim

"Add To Active Household/Family"

"Trigger Age Transition"

Active Sim

"Modify Traits for Active Sim"

Non-household Sim

"Add to Household"

Any object

"Object... Delete It" (requires v1.7)

While the "testingCheatsenabled true" code is enabled on the "Select Family" screen before loading a family, hold [Ctrl] and click just below the box in the lifetime happiness to add 500 to lifetime happiness. You can also drag the needs bars up or down as desired. When viewing your Sims' relationships, you can drag the bars on that screen either way.

While the "testingCheatsenabled true" code is enabled, hold [Ctrl] and click a Moodlet in the Moodlet panel to remove it. Note: If it is motive-induced, the bar related to the negative Moodlet will be completely filled.

To max out Moodlets and keep them that way, enable the "testingCheatsenabled true" code. Then, hold [Shift] and click your Sim's mailbox. Select "Make all happy", and click the mailbox again, then select "Make needs static".

While the "testingCheatsenabled true" code is enabled, hold [Ctrl] and drag the Mouse left or right to raise or lower your Sim's current motive as well as raise or lower relationships.

Watching your own videos on the TV

Use the following trick to watch your own videos on the Sim television. Place the video you want into the "/My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 3/Movies/Broadcast/[television station]" folder. Turn on the television in the game, and you can watch it. The video must be in .AVI format, with a resolution no larger than 128x128 pixels, and frame rate not greater than 15 frames per second.

Listening to your own music on the radio

Place the desired .MP3 files in the "/My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 3/Music/[radio station]" folder. Start the game, go to "Options" menu, select "Music Settings", then choose radio station. Select which songs you want the radio to play.

Easy money

Start writing novels on your computer. Write fiction novels as they take the least amount of time. They will not bring you too much Simoleons. When you write, your skill will automatically advance. If your skill is high enough, you will be able to write more novel types/genres. The most money can be made from "Romance Novels". You will get royalties for six weeks once you finish a book. With the "Writing" skill maxed out, you can make approximately 40,000 Simoleons every week, which is more than the 34,800 Simoleons you can get by purchasing all neighborhood businesses, and takes less time to achieve. In three game weeks you should have a very high speed writing, 9 or 10 novels as best sellers, and 100,000 Simoleons.

Saving money

No matter how many times you use an object, if you sell it the same day you got it you can get all your money back. If your Sim is poor and needs body points or something else, buy a body machine and keep selling it back to get a refund of all your money.

Easy Cooking, Fishing, and Gardening skills

This trick requires a TV with a Cooking, Fishing, or Gardening channel and a video game system. Have a Sim sit down and watch television. Switch the TV over to one of the previously mentioned channels so that the Sim can start earning his or her skill point. Then, have a second Sim go over and start playing video games. Notice that although the TV is displaying video games, the first Sim still has the skill meter above their head. Allow this Sim to sit there for as long as they please until they decide to do another activity of their own. After that, the skill meter should stay above their head until you start another Cooking, Fishing, or Gardening skill activity. As an added bonus, you can train two skill points at once. For example, work out and both the Athletic and Cooking skills will continue to rise. If you keep repeating the steps until each skill channel has been viewed, the Sim will keep learning the three skills as he or she goes on about their daily life, and four when doing skill activities.

Buy a bookcase, then have your Sim begin to study. Interrupt the action so that the book is placed on the ground. Sell the bookcase. The book can now do everything the bookcase could have done for free.

Increasing chance to have baby boys

Have a pregnant female Sim eat apples to increase the chance of having a boy.

Increasing chance to have baby girls

Have a pregnant female Sim eat watermelons to increase the chance of having a girl.

Increasing chance for multiple babies

To increase the chance of having twins or triplets, have one or both parents have the lifetime reward of Fertility Treatment.

Ghost baby

Set one of your female Sim's traits to Kleptomaniac. Go to the graveyard, and have the Sim steal male remains. On the second day after putting the male remains in your home, a ghost will appear at 11:00 p.m. and disappear at 4:00 a.m. It will appear every other day. Socialize with the ghost every night it appears. When you become best friends with the ghost, it will begin appearing every night. Get the "Fertility" reward. Confess your attraction to the ghost. Ask to snuggle on the bed, and kiss him. Try for a baby every night until you start throwing up. You will now have a ghost baby that you can control.

Ghosts in your house

Go to the graveyard, click on all the tombstones, and take all possible tombstones. Return to your house, and place them somewhere in your backyard. You now have a 70% chance of a ghost or two, or even a whole party of ghosts visiting your house each night. To improve your chances, write in the epitaph "Here Lies [Sim's name], The One Who Returns".

Making friends

Buy a guitar. Play it to learn how to play guitar. Keep playing until you reach 5/10 level, which gives you the ability to "Play For Tips". When you have that ability, go to the park with the guitar in your inventory. When you are in the park, click the guitar in your inventory, and select "Play For Tips". People watching you will become your friends if you keep playing. The higher your guitar skill, the faster they will become friends with you.

Disable aging

Instead of using a cheat code to toggle "aging on" and "aging off" like in The Sims 2, you can de-activate the age in "Game Options" under "Options". When you uncheck the box next to "Aging", your Sims will no longer become older. You can also slow aging down in this menu by setting the "Lifetime" bar. It can be set from 25 days to 960 days.

Quickly advance age

Use the following trick to change your Sim's age (toddler, child, teen, etc.) quickly. Buy a birthday cake from the grocery store, and place it somewhere on your lot. Click the cake, and select "Have Birthday". Then, choose the Sim to be aged. This is a good method to get past the baby stage.

Avoiding death

Go to Pleasant Rest Graveyard. Near the gate is a bush called "Death Flower Bush". Harvest the flower from it, and keep it in your Sim's inventory. If you die, that Sim will give the flower to the Grim Reaper and be resurrected. Although the flower will not reappear there again, if your Sim has Level 7 Gardening, they can plant the "Unknown Special Seeds" found in the graveyard and some other places that have a chance to grow as a Death Flower. Note: Having the Green Thumb trait to revive the plant may help.

Changing your name

To easily change your name, go to the map, and find City Hall. It should give you an option to change your name during the day between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

New clothes

To get new clothes, you first have to buy a dresser from "Buy Options". Once there, click "Plan Outfit". You can put a total of three different clothes for each type (formal, every day, athletic, etc.).

Learning all guitar songs from books

Have your Sim reach Guitar skill level 5. Have a level 5 book in their inventory, click the guitar, then select "New Song" to learn it. After reaching Guitar skill level 6, do the same thing with a level 6 book. Repeat the process until the Sim reaches Guitar skill level 10, and they will know all songs that were taught.

Creating brilliant paintings or masterpieces

Create a stylized still life after it is unlocked. Choose "Genius", and make it in the largest possible frame. You will now have a much better chance of getting a brilliant painting or masterpiece.

Building a basement

Put down staircases on a new lot to lower the terrain. Go to the bottom of the first one, and miss out one tile, then put down another staircase. Repeat this again to have three staircases. Delete the staircases. Use the "Level Terrain" tool to level the terrain from the lowest tile. Set it as big or small as desired. Using the "Straight Line Wall" tool, build walls around this hole so there are walls pressed up against hills. Build the room above so it covers the entire basement. Cover around the house with the "Foundation" tool; all the slopes should be covered up. Place one tile in the top floor, then create a staircase leading down to the basement. Make two or more foundation blocks at the front of the house, and place a staircase leading up them.

Duck Time moodlet

Buy the Ducksworth of Bathington, and place it in your bathtub. When a Sim takes a bath, they will get the Duck Time moodlet which results in a +15 boost for four hours.

Getting rid of dirty dishes

Drag an empty plate into a Sim's inventory, then drag it to sell. You will not get any money, but if your Sim does not have a dish washer, it is a quick and efficient way to get rid of dirty dishes.

Strange faces

There is a glitch in Create-A-Sim mode that allows to you to make very strange faces. Go to the face designing area. Select a face part such as the eyes, and max out all the sliders one way or the other. Then, go to a different face part, and select one of the predesigned parts. Return to the eyes. The sliders will have reset to the middle, but the eyes will still look the same. This works for all of the face adjusting tabs. You can then continue to max out the size of the eyes and repeat. You can make eyes the size of dinner plates, very long cheekbones, huge noses, and more.

Hording pizza

Have a Sim call for pizza. When the pizza delivery man arrives, do not accept the pizza. The delivery man will eventually leave the pizza on the front porch, and it will never get stale. You can stack as many pizzas there as you want. If your Sims get hungry, just tell them to get a pizza from the front porch.

EA game references

When you have the video game system and your Sims play it, zoom in on the TV to see that the games they are playing are various Electronic Arts titles.

Spore reference

Have a Sim reach the top painting level to have the ability to create masterpieces. One of the paintings that can be created is that of a creature from Spore.